Travel Stories and News for 5/22/2009 : Kathika Travel Website

Below is a list of travel stories and news for 5/22/2009

Dublin’s best pubs: top spots, to be sure
When the good times were good for Dubliners, you’d find them celebrating their good fortune in the pubs. Now the overheated economy has taken a frigid nosedive, you’ll find Dubliners … er, in the pubs commiserating their poor fortune. Dub pubs used to be a maelstrom of cigarette smoke and sticky floors. The first European country to go smoke-free, you can now see the ceilings but it’s best to avoid looking at the floors. Drawing on years of extensive research, here’s a smattering of Dublin’s best pubs. If we’ve forgotten your favourite, sorry.

First! All Virgin America Planes Are Now Equipped With In-Flight WiFi || Jaunted
As of today, guests on any of Virgin America’s 100 daily flights have the option to surf the Web, check e-mail, or log on to their corporate VPN – all from the comfort of their seats at 37,000 feet. Virgin America marks this in-flight WiFi milestone with another first for an airline: an air-to-ground Skype video call with Oprah Winfrey which will air this Thursday, May 21 on The Oprah Winfrey Show (check local listings).

Will the credit card industry’s woes mean the death of points and miles? | Upgrade: Travel Better
For years, savvy consumers have used credit card spending to beef up their frequent flier mileage balances, their hotel points, or just plain old cash. For those who paid off their bills in full every month, cards have been a great way to put off payment for three to six weeks, while earning a nice return — of hundreds or even thousands of dollars’ value — through rebates or points.

Practical Traveler – Mexican Deals Try to Win Back Flu-Weary Tourists – NYTimes.com
THERE may be no better time to visit Mexico than now. It’s been about a month since swine flu scares sent tourists fleeing, but with new cases of the H1N1 virus on the wane, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted its ban on nonessential travel to Mexico on May 15. Museums, restaurants and historic sites are largely back in business.
photo credit: fazen